Stocks Becalmed Before the Storm

Summer doldrums could precede big breakout, the direction of which depends on central banks.

This year, the dog days of August should be called the sloth days. Trading activity has ground to a crawl, and technical indicators are flatlining.

Rather than grabbing suntan lotion and enjoying some time away, investors should be downloading trading apps from their brokers. The longer the dead quiet in the market lasts, the bigger the explosion...